Junaid Munshi did pre-med coursework as an undergraduate at St. Louis University. Wanting to give back to humanity, and citing the quote in the Quran ‘whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.’ he settled on a career in medicine. “I wanted to go to work every day and bring goodness to my life by helping others. What I like about medicine is your whole purpose is just to help someone.”

While Junaid came to Nevis, he says he worked hard, made great friends and loved the Nevis beaches. “All the late night studying and stress were 100% worth it”. Doing well in his clinical rotations, Junaid began a residency in Family Medicine at Louisiana State University Medical Center and distinguished himself with the “Resident Teaching Award”, “Research and Scholarly Activity Award” as well as the highest Step 3 score in his residency class.

Currently back in St. Louis as Preceptor at both Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis University School of Medicine. Junaid is thrilled now to be combining his second greatest passion (boxing) with his work as a physician.

“Boxing is my favorite sport, and I have been following it since I was a kid. At every fight, I saw a doctor, and always dreamed of being that doctor.

Certified by the Association of Ringside Physicians in 2018. Junaid has been the doctor in many televised fights on ESPN and DAZN. He has also been the ringside physician for multiple world title fights at the highest level of the sport. “One world title fight in New Orleans really stands out in my mind. A fighter sustained an injury. Due to the magnitude of the fight, there was hesitation to stop the fight. The fighter himself wanted the fight to continue as all fighters do. I intervened though, and stopped the fight knowing that was the right decision to make. The next day the fighter tweeted and thanked me. I knew that I had done the right thing at a crucial point in someone’s life”.

How to Choose Among Caribbean Medical Schools

Most U.S. and Canadian students would like to go to medical school in their home country. But due to very low medical school acceptance rates, many are unable to attend medical school at home. In 2018 -2019, for example, 52,777 applicants vied for only 21,622 seats in U.S. medical schools. In Canada, 13,929 prospective medical students competed for only 2,951 available seats.

Caribbean medical schools are the most popular alternate path to becoming an M.D. in the United States and Canada. There are more than 50 medical schools in the Caribbean – of widely varying quality. How should an interested pre-medical student choose among all these Caribbean medical schools?

External Recognition of Quality – Accreditation and Licensing

It is essential for prospective students to select a Caribbean medical school that will allow them to become licensed to practice medicine in North America. Unless a school is appropriately accredited, graduates of the school can be precluded from medical licensure in the U.S. and/or Canada. At both the federal and state/provincial level, licensing authorities in North America have become increasingly stringent in their assessment of foreign medical schools and their graduates. It is critical that the school you choose is appropriately accredited and recognized.

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certifies which students from foreign schools may take the United States Medical Licensing Exams. Students must take and pass these exams in order to practice medicine in the United States. Beginning in 2023, ECFMG certification is only available to students from schools that are accredited by an accrediting agency that is officially recognized by the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME). Currently, there are only three accrediting agencies working in the Caribbean that are recognized by WFME:

1.         Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM)

2.         Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO)

3.         Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Health Professionals (CAAM-HP)

Likewise, the U.S. National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA) assesses which foreign countries and their accreditors use standards that are comparable to the standards used to accredit medical schools in the United States. This means that the curriculum, faculty, resources and the schools themselves are held to comparable standards to U.S. medical schools.

Some states in the U.S. independently review the quality of foreign medical schools, and these reviews can affect the ability of foreign medical students/graduates to participate in clinical rotations and/or practice medicine in that state. Currently, there are three states (New York, California and Florida) that independently review foreign medical schools. In 2020, however, California will discontinue its reviews, leaving only New York and Florida as the two states independently reviewing foreign medical schools. Students from unapproved schools cannot participate in any clinical rotations in Florida. In New York, students from unapproved schools cannot earn a residency in the state and can only participate in limited clinical rotations.

It would be unwise and potentially career-limiting to attend a Caribbean medical school whose accreditation is not fully recognized by WFME, NCFMEA, New York and Florida. Currently there are only seven Caribbean medical schools recognized by all of these organizations:

1.         American University of Antigua

2.         American University of the Caribbean

3.         Medical University of the Americas

4.         Ross University

5.         Saba University

6.         St. George’s University

7.         St. Matthew’s University

External Recognition of Quality -- United States Federal Loan Programs

In order for students from Caribbean medical schools to receive U.S. federal loans, the United States Department of Education must assess and approve the quality of the school. The criteria used by the Department of Education include:

1.         Accreditation recognized by NCFMEA

2.         USMLE pass rates of students and graduates

3.         Quality of clinical rotations

Currently, there are only seven Caribbean medical schools that are approved by the Department of Education for participation in the U.S. federal loan programs:

1.         American University of Antigua

2.         American University of the Caribbean

3.         Medical University of the Americas

4.         Ross University

5.         Saba University

6.         St. George’s University

7.         St. Matthew’s University

These are the same seven Caribbean medical schools whose accreditations are recognized by both WFME and NCFMEA, and which are approved by the licensing authorities of both New York and Florida. Among the many Caribbean medical schools, these seven schools stand out as having the external recognition necessary for their students and graduates to practice medicine in the United States and to obtain access to U.S. federal loans. As such, students reviewing Caribbean medical schools should consider limiting their evaluation to these seven schools.

Choosing Among the Caribbean Medical Schools with Sufficient External Recognition of Quality

How should a prospective student choose among the seven Caribbean medical schools that meet the necessary external standards for quality?

These schools vary widely in size and the attendant level of personal attention afforded to students, so students should look for a school that will match their personal preference for learning style. Schools such as St. Matthew’s University strictly limit the size of their incoming cohorts, while others have extraordinarily large class sizes. St. George’s University has had incoming cohorts of nearly 1,000 medical students, while class sizes of greater than 500 medical students are not uncommon at Ross University.

The cost of these schools differ greatly, with some charging more than virtually all US medical schools, and others being much more affordable.

Finally, the settings of the schools are very varied. Some Caribbean countries are poor – often with high crime rates – while other Caribbean islands have all the comforts of home.

What follows is a table of information to help you compare the seven schools across some of these dimensions. For reference, it also includes the data for the median U.S. public medical school.

(1) Four year tuition & fees as of 2018-19. Source: American Association of Medical Colleges, individual school websites 
(2) GDP per capita. Source: United Nations Statistics Division, CIA World Factbook, Statistics Netherlands 
(3) Data unavailable for island of Nevis

Thomas Edison once said that “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to always try just one more time.”This year’s Medical University of the Americas commencement speaker perfectly embodies Mr. Edison’s words. 

Shehahn Soundranayagam is the only child of immigrant parents from Sri Lanka, who came to Canada to flee the civil war. Fascinated as a child by all of the complexities of living things and inspired by Bill Nye the Science Guy, Shehahn thought that medicine would be the best way to both understand the human body and to take part in fixing it.

In pursuit of his dreams, Shehahn studied actuarial science and biology at the University of Toronto as a premedical student. However, based on his academic performance, he did not feel that he was competitive for admission to Canadian medical schools. After completion of his studies, Shehahn started a career in pharmaceutical consulting. Yet his true passions remained unfulfilled.

He quit his pharmaceutical job and decided that he wanted to pursue medicine no matter what. And we at MUA were fortunate to welcome this exceptional student into our medical program.

Today Shehahn is graduating academically as the top performing student in this class. Not only does he have the highest USMLE Step 1 of any student in this graduating class, but he also has two of the highest USMLE scores of all time at MUA and likely is amongst the top scoring of most who have taken the test. But even with his stellar academic performance, he has always remained humble, and is loved by all of his attending physicians, peers, and patients. He demonstrates compassion and empathy in all of his work. He was an exemplary medical student and will be an even more admirable physician.

FB Live with MUA clinical student Arber Frakulli

Most of the hotels on the island are transformed former plantation homes, and the entire infrastructure is eco-friendly.

“I completed my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University in Canada, and then applied to MUA to pursue a Medical Degree.  I chose MUA because of the positive feedback I received from fellow Canadians who were also on the same career path.”

Naveria entered in MUA’s Pre-Med program, which she felt gave her a solid foundation before entering Med 1. “The Pre-Med program was a great opportunity for me to establish efficient study habits and acquire basic medical knowledge.  This gave me a lot of confidence before starting Med 1.  I was also able to build relations early on with upper med students and professors who helped me tremendously throughout my time on the island.”

“My favorite was the anatomy class. All students were given ample time to explore and learn in the lab which was truly a great hands-on experience.” 

 Naveria was particularly struck by the friendliness of the professors, and the fact that they really were involved with the students. “ There were so many external resources available for the students outside the classroom which I really appreciated. I was actually a part of a new one-on-one student tutoring program initiated by my fellow classmate. I got the opportunity to tutor students in Biochemistry who reached out to me for help. It was a humbling and rewarding experience.”

 Once she completed her Basic Sciences work, Naveria started to work on her “Research: Literature Review and Analysis” (RLRA) paper, which was ultimately selected for publication. A unique and integral part of the MUA curriculum, the purpose of the RLRA  is to further develop a student’s ability to evaluate and assimilate scientific evidence.

Her research paper, entitled "Comparative Efficacy of Pharmacological and Nonpharmacological Interventions in Managing Primary and Secondary Outcomes of Fibromyalgia Syndrome” was published in the Michigan State University Medical Student Research Journal.

Says Naveria… “The topic was intriguing to me, and I was drawn to research something that I did not have much knowledge about. It isn’t particularly considered a high-yield topic, but it is very important to know about because you see it numerous times as a clinician”.

Matching into her top choice, Naveria will begin her Residency in Internal Medicine at UPMC Mercy Hospital, in Pittsburgh this June. No doubt her research work will bear fruit in her residency!

Congratulations to Joseph Nshiewat on your Fellowship in Sleep Medicine at Norwalk Hospital! Enjoy your work and much continued success as you embark on your new chapter!

Congratulations to MUA student Naveria Ammad, on the publication of her RLRA paper "Comparative Efficacy of Pharmacological and Nonpharmacological Interventions in Managing Primary and Secondary Outcomes of Fibromyalgia Syndrome” . Says Naveria… “The topic was intriguing to me, and I was drawn to research something that I had no idea about. It isn’t considered a high yield topic, but it is very important to know about because you see it as a clinician."

We are so proud of Naveria, and the fact that her paper was published in the Michigan State University Medical Student Research Journal.

Click here to the paper.

Chisom majored in Biological Sciences with a minor in Nutrition at the University of Alberta, and traded in the cold weather of Canada for the warmth of Nevis.

"I enjoyed living on the island. The people were kind and the beaches on Nevis were gorgeous. I was very focused on my work at MUA though, and spent alot of time studying which didn't leave much beach time. But it was certainly nice to know that I had them there as an option." "My classes were organized and the teachers were dedicated. I met people from all over the world and made lifelong friends." When not studying, Chisom enjoyed teaching a workout class, and participating in the "MUA Olympics" where the Canadian students faced off against the American students in multiple sports, with the most popular being basketball. "Indian Summers was my favorite restaurant, that is when we weren't treating ourselves to dinner at the Four Seasons resort on the island." Chisom enjoyed the opportunity to do her clinical rotations in a variety of places, particularly the opportunity to do some core and elective rotations in Canada that MUA helped set up for her.

She matched into a three year residency in Internal Medicine at Medstar in Baltimore, and developed an in interest in Geriatrics. "Geriatric medicine is about dealing with complex medical problems and addressing the patient as who whole, it is really more like an art. It can be challenging, yet also very rewarding, when you make significant improvements to a patients life. It is a field of medicine that keeps you young."

"Yale has one of the top Geriatric Programs in the country, so I was so happy to get a Fellowship in Geriatrics at Yale"

Listen in to a Facebook Live session with current MUA student Seth Haydel,  8 months into his MUA clinical rotations. He has finished his core rotations in Internal Medicine and Surgery, as well as electives in Ambulatory Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Dr. Anthony Ramdass is doing what he loves, and that is teaching others in the field of medicine. He is the Associate Program Director in the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Northwell Health-Mather Hospital. While in his own Internal Medicine Residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in Queens, he was named Chief Resident in his third year (out of a class of about 60 residents) so leadership and mentoring seem to come naturally to Anthony.

Anthony speaks glowingly  of his time at MUA, starting with his time in Basic Sciences and continuing through his clinical rotations. “ I loved every part of Basic Sciences. The classes were excellent, and the professors really took the time to teach us, and make sure that we understood everything. They always had office hours after class as well.”

 “My transition to clinical rotations was easy. I did my general surgery and Obstetrics and Gynecology rotations in Chicago, and the balance of my rotations (75%) in New York City”.

Congratulations to MUA graduate Dr. Ashad Abid on your double fellowship in Geriatric and Hospice and Palliative medicine at Brown University! We are so proud and wish you much continued success.

Dr. Becky Wu, MUA 2016 grad,is currently  a currently a third-year psychiatry resident at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. Says Becky " I will be starting fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia this summer. My interest in this specialty grew out of training in psychodynamic psychotherapy in residency, where much emphasis is placed on early childhood experiences. I will always be grateful to my experience at MUA where I was given the opportunity to not only pursue my dream career, but also led me to my husband and lifelong friendships.

Nesting Turtles on Nevis

Conservation meets cuteness on the idyllic island of Nevis, where endangered Hawksbill and Leatherback turtles gather to bury their eggs on the white-sand beaches. Four Seasons Resort Nevispartners with the Sea Turtle Conservancy and the Nevis Turtle Group to help protect sea turtles, sponsoring GPS satellite transmitters to help track migration patterns, and engaging resort guests to observe and participate in the annual nesting. Each July, guests are invited to help look for nesting sea turtles. After nesting, turtles are fitted with a satellite transmitter (a means of tracking the migratory path of the species) and released into the sea. From July through October, guests can also volunteer to assist the Nevis Turtle Group in identifying and marking sea turtle nests for safekeeping.

Congratulations to Dr. Khaing Myint, who will be starting a 2 year Infectious Disease Fellowship at Harlem Hospital Center, after having completed her Internal Medicine Residency there. The MUA team is so proud of your accomplishment and wish you much continued success

Sam completed a degree in Integrated Sciences at Carleton University in Canada before attending  medical school at MUA. "The paced, individualized and integrated teaching method at MUA gave me the pre-requisite tools needed to succeed as a physician. Critical thinking, focused-team environment and great mentorship were also other key elements MUA provided which helped me develop into the physician I have become.”

After completing medical school, he eventually relocated to LSU Shreveport to begin his training in Internal Medicine. In his residency, he has won numerous awards including PGY-1 Intern of the Year, PGY-2 Resident of the Year eventually being selected as one of the Chief residents in his 3rd year. He recently matched into gastroenterology and hepatology at LSU Shreveport, where he will continue his training through fellowship. He plans to pursue a career in academic gastroenterology.